Changes in the serum lipid fractions of malnourished children with and without clinical infection. Paradoxical hypertriglyceridemia in malnutrition

: We have studied the levels of total triglycerides, total cholesterol and high, low and very low density lipoproteins, in serum from undernourished children and from eutrophic controls matched by age, race and socioeconomical condition with the undernourished group. Malnourished children were classified according to the severity of the nutritional deficiency and according to the presence or absence of associated overt infections. Serum lipids fractions were evaluated by colorimetric procedures and by electrophoretic isolation and elution of the desired lipoprotein followed by colorimetric evaluation of the cholesterol content. Increased levels of total triglycerides and very low density lipoproteins were observed in the undernourished group. The rise in the levels of total triglycerides and very low density lipoproteins was more marked in children with moderate and severe undernutrition as well as in undernourished with associated overt infection. In contrast, as expected, serum levels of total cholesterol, high density and low density lipoproteins were significantly diminished in undernourished children. The depression in the amount of total cholesterol, high density and low density lipoproteins was more marked in the severe forms of undernutrition. Increased levels of total triglycerides and very low density lipoprotein could be determined by a defect in the clearance of these lipid fractions due to depressed activity of lipoprotein lipase.